A Swedish pilot has shot to internet fame after posting photos of her enviable lifestyle to Instagram.32-year-old Maria Pettersson – a pilot for Ryanair – has over 230,000 followers on Insta and it’s not hard to see why as she shares a fascinating selection of pictures, reports Bored Panda.

Maria, who now lives in Palermo in Sicily, said she started the flight deck selfies to let her friends and family see her everyday life at work and to show that women can succeed in a male-dominated work environment.

She told the Daily Mail:My story is about strong females in a male dominated environment. Proving that we are just as good as them. Believing in ourselves and keeping a positive attitude towards life.I never thought becoming a pilot was an option for me due to the high costs and the fact that most pilots were men.The more I thought about it the more I wanted it and I knew it was the perfect fit for me. I worked hard to save for the costs of flight training and studied even harder. Hard work pays off and my dream became reality.

She said:I try to travel as much as I can during my off days and when I travel on my own holidays I like to visit places with paradise beaches and adventures.Following her Instagram success, Maria launched her blog PilotMaria.com to give people a wider insight into her industry.

Now Maria hopes that through her social media accounts she can show others you don’t have to be a rich man to become a pilot.“Before starting my training I worked and saved for most of the costs. In the end mine cost me around 65,000 euros,” she said. “The toughest challenge has been to get that first flying job. Competition was tough with many pilots fighting for the same job.